Matthew had another setback today. He started having residual on his feeds, and increasing Bradycardia episodes. He was also having tachypnic episodes (rapid breathing rate) where his breathing rate jumped to over 100 breaths per minute. Needless to say, they didn't extubate him this morning.
They ran some tests on his stool recently and found evidence of internal bleeding. His residual hasn't had any blood in it, so the blood is likely coming from his intestines. His residual today was green however which indicates that his intestines are backing up, causing bile from his small intestines to get pushed back into his stomach. They've temporarily suspended his feedings until they can figure out what's going on. Unfortunately, all of these things are symptoms of NEC. They haven't determined conclusively if he has NEC (these could all be unrelated symptoms), but they're certainly concerned about it.
"As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him." (2 Samuel 22:31).
We will continue to pray; specifically about his intestinal problem. I pray that all of us will continue to keep the faith, because he's still in control.
We Love you Guys: Seth, Dawn, and Andrew